The name given to the 16 EU countries who have adopted the Euro as their sole currency. The European Central Bank is responsible for the monetary policy of the Eurozone.
Bailed-out Ireland is to contribute an additional €90 million to the European Union to help plug a shortfall in its 2013 budget. Ludicrous? Yes – but it’s hardly a blip on the radar of incongruity that is the EU’s funny money parade, writes Aaron McKenna.
While other countries are showing signs of difficulty, it’s Spain’s deterioration which could bring the euro crisis to its most dangerous point, writes Tom McDonnell, who asks where Europe goes from here?
The EU needs to either get on with integration, proper banking and political union or separate into amicable trading partners and neighbours, writes Aaron McKenna.
Senior Bank of Cyprus official Mario Skandalis confirmed the figures, although he said they had not been finalised and a final announcement was expected by Monday.
Speaking in Brussels ahead of crunch talks on a proposed bailout for Cyprus, Finance Minister Noonan said he expected to reach a deal but that it will be a long night.
Elmar Brok, the chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has admitted he can foresee a situation where Cyprus could exit the single currency and said that authorities underestimated the current situation there.
A MOTION OF no confidence in the Minister for Justice will be debated in the Dáil next week with Fianna Fáil claiming Alan Shatter’s position is now “untenable”.
The opposition party has been fiercely critical of the Fine Gael deputy’s handling of an ongoing row with Independent TD Mick Wallace.
“The Minister has shown extremely poor judgement of late. In particular, he used private information he received from the Garda Commissioner to undermine an opposition TD on Prime Time last week,” Niall Collins charged.
Shatter is currently facing two investigations by the Data Protection Commissioner and the Standards in Public Office Commission over his actions. He was also forced to clarify the nature of an incident where he was breathalysed by gardaí but could not complete the test because of asthma.
Although the motion of no confidence is unlikely to pass (as the government can table a counter-motion), TheJournal.ie wants to know what you think. Is Alan Shatter’s position as minister untenable?
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